Design Center

To be a successful designer you must have “real world” experience in addition to a personable disposition, killer portfolio, and a sound education. inProgress is Louisiana Tech University’s response to the lack of internship possibilities for design students in Northern Louisiana, and the much-needed quality design services for the community.

inProgress is a student-run design center housed within the Communication Design area of the School of Art at Louisiana Tech. It provides professional communication solutions within an interdisciplinary educational environment for clients working towards the betterment of the university and community.

objective
This course is structured as a real design firm. Each student becomes a partner and employee of the design center and will be responsible for projects from initial client meeting, proposal/contract, ideation, creation, presentation, vendor interaction, and production/delivery of the final project. Professional interpersonal skills are as important as creative output. Evaluation will be determined not only by the effectiveness of the final piece(s), but also the client’s satisfaction in the creative process.

In addition to working with clients, students will be exposed to creative business processes, marketing and self-promotion, negotiation and pricing, ethical and legal standards of practice, and the network of professionals involved in the industry.

The instructor will act as art director over the creative output of the center and facilitator in setting up client contacts and general schedule. The students will take responsibility in client relations, researching resources, finding answers, organization of critiques, discussions and presentations, and sharing of information documentation.

breakdown of points for the quarter MAJOR PROJECTS (100 points each)

Time Tracking (100 points)
Each week you must log your hours into the online inProgress time tracker. Evaluation is based on accuracy of information; not who logged the most hours.

Business Know-How (50 points)
Points allotted for demonstrated knowledge of the following office procedures and forms: online calendar upkeep, contract, RFQ, creative brief, job jacket, and general communication and creative contribution to the center.

Field Trip/Guest Speaker (50 points)
During the visit/talk, you are the official reporter. Document the event and distribute a one-page report to the class by uploading a PDF to this assignment before the beginning the next class period. You also must create a thank you, collect signatures and deliver the card in a timely manner.